Nothing Else Matters by Leslie Dubois

about?" Scott asked when he released her.
      Shawan grew quiet and raised an eyebrow as she stared at Reyna and Scott. Derek, who had been smiling during the impromptu dance routine, grew angry. He shoved the box of buttons into Reyna's arms then stormed off.
      "What was that about?" Scott asked.
      "Nothing," Reyna said quickly. "He ... um ... It's nothing." Reyna stepped away from Scott, suddenly feeling the need to put distance between them.
      "Let's do lunch today," he asked still trying to hold on to her waist.
      "Okay."
      "I'll meet you in the parking lot. I gotta get to class." Scott gave her a peck on the lips, and then dashed off leaving her under Shawan's scrutinizing gaze.
      "What was that?" she asked Reyna.
      "What?"
      "Oh, you know what. You're with Scott Kincaid now?"
      "Yeah, so?"
      "You're the president of the Minority Student Association. You can't date a white guy, especially Scott Kincaid."
      "Why not?"
      "I can't believe I even have to tell you." Shawan grabbed her elbow and pulled her out of the middle of the hallway, away from the crowd and from roaming ears.
      "His mother is the biggest racist there is. Do you know that last year she actually complained to the principal that the black guys on the basketball team were getting more playing time than the white guys? I know this for a fact. My brother was on that team."
      "Believe me, I know Sam Kincaid. But that doesn't mean Scottie's like that. He loves me."
      Shawan shook her head disapprovingly. "What about Derek? Why don't you just date Derek? He's completely in love with you too. Do you know how much he's been going on about this date he has with you? You probably just broke his heart right now."
      Reyna felt a wave of guilt overwhelm her. She didn't mean to hurt Derek. And what if Shawan was right about the race issue? Maybe dating Scott wasn't such a good idea after all.
    ***
      "Were you just kissing Reyna Lewis?" Amber asked, blocking my way in to art class.
      "Yeah, so?"
      "How could ...why would ... what about us?" Amber did the puppy dog eye thing again.
      "In case you forgot, you broke up with me yesterday."
      "I did not." Amber crossed her arms indignantly, reminding me of her little sister. "I just said I needed time to think."
      "I'm sorry, Amber. But I'm with Reyna now."
      "But she's black," she whispered as if she was telling me a secret I wasn't aware of.
      "Actually, she's half black, kind of like our next president." I knew that would really irk her, especially since she boldly donned her McCain button on her lapel.
      "Wait till your mother finds out," she threatened finally moving out of the way to let me enter my classroom.
    ***
      News traveled fast about Scott and Reyna. By the time lunch rolled around, almost every member of the MSA personally told her that she could not date Scott Kincaid. For some reason, she had never considered the social ramifications of a relationship with Scott. Maybe her feelings for him had blinded her to the true racial atmosphere at Charleston Prep. She tried to think hard as to whether there had been another interracial couple at the school in her six years there and she couldn't think of a single one. There had been no blatant acts of racism besides the ramblings of Sam Kincaid, but everyone both white and black considered Sam absolutely insane. Yet, still, maybe Sam was just the only one with the courage to say out loud what everyone else was thinking.
      Suddenly, Reyna felt as if everyone in the school was staring at her when she walked down the hall. Not because of her unique sense of style with her afro, leather pants, and arm full of bracelets, but because she was breaking a taboo. Forging new territory that had never been explored: interracial dating.
    "You need to stay away from my man," Amber said, jamming a finger into Reyna's chest.
    "You've got to be kidding me." Reyna sighed and massaged the space between her eyes with two fingers. This